Painting is rough!!!!

So I need to rant about painting.  Jordan and I bought a house for the first time about a month ago.  We love it and we are ready to be moved in and have it feel like "home."  One of the things I wanted to get done before we had furniture and boxes everywhere, was to paint some of the rooms.  I spent days on Pintrest looking for perfect colors, reading advice on the best way to paint a room, the kinds of brushes that make the process easier, and collecting several paint chips from Lowes.  We were ready to go when we felt like we had everything we needed. I knew it would be a chore, but I also thought it might be kind of fun.

I was wrong. 

It is not fun.

It's hard.

I don't want to do it again for a very long time.

Here are some things I learned:

1.) The paint chip wall at Lowes is intimidating.  There are too many choices and if you know me, making decisions is not my forte. Jordan says I "over thought" the whole color thing.

2.) Painters tape is practically useless.  You will still get paint where you don't want it.

3.) A gallon of paint can go along way so don't buy too much or you will have extra paint you can't return.

4.) (In contradiction to #3) A gallon of paint doesn't really cover as much as you think, so be sure you buy extra so you aren't scraping the can to finish a wall.

5.) Movies lie.  I've seen a few movies where couples are painting, having a good laugh, playing, and then decide it might be a good time to hit the bedroom.  This is not true.  When you are covered with paint and sweat and have painters tape stuck in your hair-you don't feel the least bit attractive-just ask Jordan.

6.) Get a babysitter if you can.  We don't have that luxury being so far from family and babysitters get pricey.  Our dear little Shadow wanted to help so bad.  I thought keeping him occupied with toys and movies would keep him out of our hair. Not so.

7.) Cover your ENTIRE floor.  We did buy drop cloths to put around the edge of the room.  I was thinking "how far away from the wall can the paint actually fall?" Answer is, pretty far. 

8.) You wouldn't think so, but you will need a screwdriver in order to paint properly.  This will help you open the can of paint, but also remove those light switches and outlet covers.
9.) Grey is an IMPOSSIBLE color to pick.  You have blue greys, purple greys, green greys, etc.  I picked out a "grey" and it looks a little blue in our bedroom.  BUT...its not that bad.

Thankfully, we did get the rooms done that needed some paint.  But I have decided that we will not paint anything else.  Unless it's an interior design emergency.  

Let's get ready to rumble

It's a snow day!  Shadow and I have yet to be at school this week.  The winter weather seems to be winning.  And I don't like it.  I should be doing some things around my house, but having time to write is scarce so I'm taking advantage.

The Super Bowl is in a couple of weeks.  I have seen Facebook status updates and Tweets praising their team that made it, or lamenting over the loss of their favorites.  In the football world (because there is such a place) this is the final battle.  A good vs. evil, if you will.  Two teams have made their way through yards and yards of turf, countless injuries, extreme temperatures, all for a chance to get the funny shaped pig skin over a white line so they flaunt their lack of class by dancing in very strange ways. 

I have never been much of a football fan, but seeing people get competitive about it is fun.  All the "hit me with your best shot" and "we're not going to take it" talk got me thinking, (BTW, did you like my classic rock references?) what other famous Good vs. Evil battles have taken place that seem to get people talking?  In my opinion, these are much more interesting than two pro football teams facing off.  And they all have something in common.

1.) David Vs. Goliath.  Probably the best underdog story ever.  You know the Israelites and Philistines had to be talking about this battle for days, years maybe.  It may have been the traditional "where were you when David beheaded Goliath" kind of conversation-like we are with "where were you when the Challenger exploded".  No armor fit little David.  A sling shot was his weapon and his armor was the presence of the Lord.  When you take on the armor of the Lord-giants do not stand a chance.  David wins.

2.) Jesus Vs. Satan.  Jesus fought for us! I'm nothing and he battled the Devil to save me. Satan sucks, Jesus wins.

3.) Harry Potter Vs. Voldemort.  This was the ongoing battle that fans kept up with until the final pages of the last book.  How would Harry survive? Would he find a way to rid Voldemort forever?  It got a little complicated, but basically Voldemort underestimated the power of a mother's love, and ended up destroying his own soul as he tried to destroy Harry. Harry wins.

4.) Luke Skywalker Vs. Darth Vader and the Emperor. Luke's ability to deny the dark side for so long becomes the very undoing of the Empire.  The evil Emperor (again, someone underestimating the power of a parents love) is defeated as Darth turns back to good, saving his son Luke.  Darth Vader is also destroyed by this act and Luke gets a glimpse of his father, Anakin.  Luke and Anakin win.

5.) Dorothy and the Wicked Witch of the West.  Here we could raise the question "how wicked can you really be if a little water will destroy your beautiful wickedness?"  When Dorthy saw her friend, the Scarecrow, on fire, she did what anyone of us would do.  She found some water to put the fire out, while managing to sprinkle the witch too.  No more witch, here's the broom, and you can go home! Dorothy wins.

I wanted to put Katniss Vs. Capitol on the list, but since the final movies aren't out-I didn't want to spoil anything for those that hadn't read the books.   The heroes in these battles won because they were trying to save others,  because they had protection from the Love of Christ, or the Love of a parent.  Good will always overcome evil in these ways. 

Fans of the Superbowl will likely label their team as "good" and the opponent as "evil".  I know it's a wild comparison, but the nerd in me needed a way to write about her favorite battles, for the chance to root for my heroes again.   As for the Superbowl-I'm rooting for the commercials.  And the chips and dip.

And the Oscar goes too....

January and February may be my least favorite months. Ever.  The Christmas decorations are down, its brutally cold, and I no longer have an excuse to gorge myself on cookies, candies, and chocolates.  However, these months do have a silver lining and I have Hollywood to thank.  This is the awards season for films and TV and the Golden Globes are tonight!!  Followed by Critics Choice, SAG Awards, and the Oscars. These white, bare months will be flooded with colorful gowns, glistening jewelry, sophisticated suites and ties, and beautiful hair as they adorn the red carpet. Oh, the fashion!  It has become an art of its own.

Jordan and I have identified ourselves as cinephiles (people with a passionate interest in cinema, film theory, and film criticism),and we are not ashamed of it.   We enjoy watching movies, but what I enjoy even more are our discussions after the movie. "Wasn't his acting fantastic? I didn't even see Heath Ledger in the character!" "Didn't the director capture those moments of pure cinema with the perfect blend of cinematography and musical score?"   "Leave it to Woody Allen to write a truly original script!"  You get the picture.  The past couple of years I have made Jordan and I write down our predictions for the awards, and the person that has the most wins gets a prize.  It may be silly, but it makes me feel like I am a part of the Hollywood Foreign  Press Association for just a night!  Ok, yes it's silly. Whatev.

Christmas 2009

But what I'm really trying to get at in this post is I have decided to hand out my own award.  After careful consideration, it is clear that this man stands in a category all his own.  The award for Best Husband in a Supporting Role goes to Jordan Smith for his part in, let's see, My Life!  His commitment to this role can not be overlooked. He has the ability to combine being a hands on dad, making his family feel safe and taken care of, providing spiritual guidance and working a full time job look easy. His anything but timid character and delightful sense of humor simply blows the competition out of the water.  Not to mention his chemistry with Amanda Smith is so convincing and sweet, they must be a couple in real life ;)

My boys

Summer 2010

In all seriousness, Jordan and I make a good team.  I am blessed to have such a supportive husband that provides balance and security.  He is a wonderful dad to Shadow and makes me want to be a better wife.  So, while Hollywood is busy awarding people for convincing us they are someone entirely different, Jordan just is who he is.  No acting. Just real. :)